Is Benjamin Burnley making any progress in his disease?

Answer 1

Sadly no. His condition is chronic and irreversible. It's symptoms and progression are comparable to Alzheimer's. Breaks my heart :(

This is what he has:

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains that dementia related to Alcoholism--also referred to as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome--is a degenerative condition with devastating results. The disease is named after the Wernicke's area of the brain, which is considerably and irreversibly affected due to a deficiency of thiamine--or vitamin B1--common to alcoholics.

WERNICKE'S ENCEPHALOPATHY

Wernicke's encephalopathy, or syndrome, is when the body goes into thiamine deficiency. There are two distinct phases or stages in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The first is the Wernicke stage, in which the prolonged periods of alcohol abuse, malnourishment, malnutrition, vomiting or the addition of chemotherapy can cause confusion, visual impairments, stupor, coma, hypothermia, hypotension and ataxia. Ataxia is debilitating in its own right.

Wernicke-related ataxia, as noted by the National Ataxia Foundation, is a degenerative condition of the motor skills and the nervous system relaying issues pertaining to balance and coordination. Further complicating symptoms can include coordination problems, shuffling gait and difficulty in walking, speaking, using the limbs or digits and controlling eye movements.

KORSAKOFF'S SYNDROME

Korsakoff's syndrome is a combination of confabulation, visual impairment and significant memory loss. Alzheimer's Society-United Kingdom suggests that this secondary phase of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is the result of untreated Wernicke, phase one. This creates the short-term memory loss and inability to retain new information, confabulation--where the individual inserts false recollections into memory gaps, and does not realize it--increased apathy, plus the addition of double-vision or eyelid drooping.